Dear Altadore Families,
Thank you to all of you who have supported those impacted by Residential Schools in various ways: by wearing orange, by further educating yourself on the reality of what happened at the schools, by putting out shoes or teddy bears, and/or by engaging in conversations with your children. One of our commitments at school is to teach children about the richness and diversity of Indigenous peoples and cultures, yet we also have a commitment to teach the truth about our country’s history and the impact Residential School have had - and continue to have - on individuals, families, and communities.
These are not easy conversations, but they are important ones to have, and not just on Orange Shirt Day each September. We would like to thank you for the many positive emails we received this week from parents who wanted to share with us how they had continued these conversations at home.
As parents, you know your children the best. If something worked particularly well at home in navigating these teachings, we would love for you to continue to share these ideas with us. If you have any suggestions for us in terms of our future commitment to teaching truth and reconciliation at Altadore, we invite you to contact us with your ideas.
Before we end this week, we would like to do a special shout-out to our teachers. Teaching in hot weather brings forth its own challenges. The hot classrooms make children understandably sluggish, phys ed plans have to be adjusted to ensure students stay safe in the heat, and there are many reminders to drink extra water, put on a hat, and seek shade during recess time. Our teachers came up with many creative solutions to the intense heat this week, and we would like to thank them for their flexibility!
As always, please reach out if you have anything you would like to share or discuss.
Kelly Christopher Principal Assistant Principal kdchristophe@cbe.ab.ca
Meagan Lundgren Assistant Principal mllundgren@cbe.ab.ca
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